The companion volume to the new Ken Burns film: a magnificently illustrated history of the American National Park System. In a rich, evocative, deeply informative narrative, Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns examine how each new park was brought into the system—from the adventures and mythmaking to the intense political battles—and capture the particular importance, splendors, and ideals embodied in each place. They introduce us to the people who were instrumental in the establishment and continued protection of the parks, from the famous figures—John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller Jr. among them—to the unsung men and women. Here too are six extended interviews with people whose lives have been shaped by their connections to the American landscape (including Terry Tempest Williams) and a vast array of breathtaking photographs, both archival and contemporary. A glorious celebration of one of the most essential expressions of American democracy.